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China’s First Civilizations
China’s Geography
The Middle Kingdom
Chinese people united to form one kingdom
They called their homeland “the Middle Kingdom.”
To them, it was the world’s center and its leading civilization
The Chinese developed a way of life that lasted into modern
times.
How Chinese Civilization Began
The Huang He valley was the first center of Chinese
civilization.
As their numbers rose, they began building towns, and soon
after, the first Chinese civilization began
The Shang Dynasty
The Shang kings ruled from about 1750 B.C. to 1045 B.C
The Shang may have built the first Chinese cities.
One of these cities was Anyang, which was China’s first
capital.
Groups of the Shang Dynasty
The King and
his family
Aristocrats:
Warlords and
Royal Officials
Traders and Artisans
Farmers
Spirits
People in Shang China worshiped gods and spirits.
Spirits were believed to live in mountains, rivers, and seas.
The people believed that they had to keep the gods and spirits
happy by making offerings of food and other goods.
Angry gods and spirits might cause farmers to have a pooer
harvest or armies to lose a battle.
Ancestors
People honored their ancestors
Offerings were make in the hope that ancestors would help in
times of need and bring good luck.
To this day, many Chinese still remember their ancestors by
going to temples and burning small paper copies of food and
clothing.
These copies represent things that their departed relatives
need in the afterlife.
Telling the Future
Shang kings believed that they received power and wisdom
from the gods, spirits, and their ancestors.
Shang religion and government were closely linked, just as
they were in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.
An important duty of Shang kings was to contact the gods,
spirits, and ancestors before making important decisions.
Oracle Bones
The Chinese Language
Pictographs
Ideographs
Shang Artists
The Shang are best known for their works of bronze.
Shang bronze objects included sculptures, vases, drinking
cups, and containers called urns.
The Shang used bronze urns to prepare and serve food for
rituals honoring ancestors.
Wu Wang
1045 B.C. Wu Wang led a rebellion against the Shang.
This event began a new dynasty called the Zhou.
The Zhou Government
The Zhou Dynasty ruled for more than 800 years—longer than any
other dynasty in Chinese history.
King:
head of the government
Bureaucracy:
made up of appointed officials who are responsible for different areas
of government
Aristocrats:
were in charge of each of the small territories
Mandate of Heaven
1. The people expected the king to rule according to the proper
“Way,” called the Dao.
2. The Mandate of Heaven gave people important rights.
• Each new dynasty claimed it had the Mandate of Heaven.
The only way people could question the claim was by
overthrowing the dynasty.
New Tools and Trade
Irrigation and flood-control systems
550 B.C. Iron Plow
Chinese Silk
The Zhou Empire Falls
• Zhou territories became powerful.
• They stopped obeying the Zhou kings and created their own
states.
• In 403 B.C. fighting broke out.
• For almost 200 years, the states battled each other.
The Zhou Empire Falls
The warring states used large armies of foot soldiers.
They issued laws forcing peasants to serve in the army so they
would have enough soldiers.
The armies fought with swords, spears, and crossbows.
The Chinese invented the saddle and stirrup during this time so
soldiers could ride horses and use crossbows while riding.
In 221 B.C. the ruler of Qin, one of the warring states, used a
large cavalry force to defeat the other states and set up a new
dynasty.